“Having been introduced to Robert Barron’s Catholicism series I wanted to make it available to others so that they, like me, can share in this journey of getting to know God better. I began by introducing this programme to a group of friends in Dublin and their enthusiastic questioning, sharing, and general delight in their re-discovery of the richness of their Catholic faith, gave me the impetus to bring it to a wider audience in the Focolare Centre in Curryhills.
“The programme consists of a series of DVDs each of which is followed by a discussion. While these DVDs are very educational in their depiction of scripture, tradition, history, art, literature and the lives of the saints, we all know from our own experience that we can never really know the person of Jesus simply by knowing a lot of data about him. This is why the group sessions are, in my opinion, as important as the DVDs. Their purpose is to allow time, after watching the DVD, not only for reflection on its content but also for sharing the different ways we each put this content into practice in our daily lives.
“While it is possible to buy these DVDs or simply to watch them on EWTN, I want people to have a collective experience, to explore and deepen their knowledge of their Catholic faith in the security of a faith family. In other words to experience, in some way, the meaning of Jesus’ promise: “wherever two or more are gathered together in my name I will be there among them” (Mt 18:20).
Preparing for each session I am inevitably enthralled by the Holy Spirit who, it seems to me, finds ways of going beyond the confines of my mind and of reaching into the depths of my heart. This dynamic not only enriches those aspects of my faith that I thought I knew but also enriches my personal relationship with God. It also seems to me that the Holy Spirit is at work in the group sessions because the experiences shared not only give witness to the resultant joy of living Jesus’ command to “love one another as he loves us” (Jn 13:34), but they also serve to highlight the level of unity already present in these diverse groups.”
Anyone may join the course at any stage. There is no charge, but a contribution is requested towards running costs.
